Hawpe mulling WBC invitation; De La Rosa likely out for Mexico

Brad Hawpe has narrowly missed out on all-star berths the past few seasons. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t received recognition. His power has earned him an invitation to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, agent Dan Horowits confirmed Friday.
Horowits said Hawpe is mulling the offer and, after talking with Rockies’ officials and his family, could make a decision as soon as Monday. The Rockies’ website first reported Hawpe’s invitation.
Hawpe, after a poor start, hit .283 with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs last season. Grady Sizemore and Ryan Braun have already indicated they would play. Former Rockie Matt Holliday, a member of Team USA in the inaugural WBC, is not expected to participate this time in order to acclimate himself to his new Oakland A’s club.

There will be a handful of Rockies in the WBC, with hard-throwing Ubaldo Jimenez already targeted by manager Felipe Alou to start for the Dominican Republic. Jorge De La, according to a source close to him, is expected to decline an invitation from team Mexico, managed by former Rockies’ great Vinny Castilla, though nothing is official yet. De La Rosa is penciled in as Colorado’s fifth starter, and if he’s used as a reliever in the WBC that could leave him unprepared when spring training ends. A similar problem arose with Byung-Hyun Kim and Sun-Woo Kim when they were used as relievers for Korea in the first WBC, affecting their preparation for the season.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.